The Golden State Warriors are your 2018 NBA champions for the third season out of four. They defeated the Cavaliers in a dominant performance, 108-85. These Warriors had no intention of returning to Oracle. They didn’t care to win the title in front of their fans, they wanted the sweep. In the end, Golden State is just too talented. When Curry and Kevin Durant are both on their games, this team is near unbeatable.
Golden State led for almost this entire game. They took an 11 point lead in the first quarter but Cleveland brought it back and took the lead in the second. Unfortunately for Cleveland, the “31st team in the NBA,” as Mark Jackson says, took over in the third. For most of this series, Cleveland has been able to hold off the Warriors’ third-quarter runs. They didn’t go for loose balls and turned it over; Cleveland had threw in the towel. The Warriors outscored the Cavaliers by 12 in the third quarter, essentially ending the game. The fourth was more of the same. Cleveland fought but to no avail.
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Stephen Curry capped off his sensational NBA finals, minus game three, with a dominant performance. He hasn’t been the main guy in either of Golden State’s two finals wins but has proven himself. To cap off the series, he put up 37 points, four assists, six rebounds, three blocks and three steals. Kevin Durant had a great all-around game with his first finals triple-double, adding 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green both had excellent games, playing great defense, giving great effort, and hitting their open shots. Iguodala recorded 11 points, shooting 3-6 from deep. The Warriors didn’t turn it over much, only recording eight turnovers.
LeBron would have needed an astronomical performance for Cleveland to win this one; his was pedestrian by his standards. James capped off his historic finals run with a 23 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists performance. His six turnovers, though, were detrimental. He didn’t get much help from his teammates; Kevin Love scored 13 points and grabbed 9 rebounds; J.R. Smith added 10 points. All in all, Cleveland was discouraged, demoralized, and outmatched by the Warriors.
Golden State culminated this series with a dominant game four statement. We are witnessing the greatest team in NBA history in the midst of an NBA dynasty. This is absolutely not the last Golden State championship in the near future. As for LeBron James, this is almost certainly his last game in a Cavs jersey. The East is only getting better and the Cavs can’t do much with their roster. It was a great NBA season and a pleasure covering it all for Full Press Coverage.
Ben Pfeifer is the Managing Editor of the Colts for Full Press Coverage, the AFC South Division Editor, and head NBA editor. Want to continue the discussion? Contact Ben Pfeifer on Twitter @Ben_Pfeifer_, @FPC_NBA and @FPC_Colts.
